Basically, it just outlines that Lewis has been talking extensively to the players about the 'take less money' model that Clarkson used at Hawthorn to assist in player retention, which in turn will help us break our premiership drought. Great to see Lewis doing this and if we keep growing as a group then hopefully that makes it even easier for players to sign on for the right coin. With teams throwing money around, and with a few gun players (Petracca, Gawn, Hunt etc.) out of contract next year, this may help us in retaining players without going overboard about it.

The article does say that we aren't currently under an salary cap constraints and with it going up soon we shouldn't have any problems retaining our players. What it may help with is being able to add further players to the list as well to complement what we already have.

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Exactly what I've been banging on about. The only hope for sustained success nowadays is in gaining an advantage through sacrifices in the area of player salaries. Build a culture and give a taste of success. Geelong and Hawthorn (and Sydney with their cap concessions). The former didn't bring in any big-ticket players during the course of their success either. My contention is that Jackson knows this is the model - and hence why all our core players are signed up until around 2019 and not beyond. We're banking on a tilt in the next couple years and then a reduction in follow-up contracts.

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And, it's nice to have him flying the MFC flag every Tues night on AFL 360. Seems a top guy, and certainly a great get for the Club!

Yes it has been a win, win deal for both parties. He has made us a better club and we have taken an arrogant, balding sniper and he is suddenly now a much better person. Not sure what the Hawks got out of it though

Yes it has been a win, win deal for both parties. He has made us a better club and we have taken an arrogant, balding sniper and he is suddenly now a much better person. Not sure what the Hawks got out of it though

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He may not be the player he was in the Hawks great years but he must be one of the best acquisitions we have ever picked up in the mature veteran class, alongside Bernie.

Experience, skills, and know how go a long way. Also intelligence.

One of my most hated Hawks when he played for them.

Incredible, how a player can go from hated or disliked to a Saint...err Demon with a simple jumper change.

I guess however, there was a grudging respect when he played for the Hawks together with the thought that if only we had a hard man like Lewis. We have transformed from the softest team in the competition to a bunch of tough nuts lead by players like Lewis, Jones and Viney.

The best way to keep salary cap space is to stop offering ridiculous contracts to blokes like Lumumba & Melksham who aren't best 22 players.

That said, I'm sure the younger players will do the right thing by each other if we provide them with a good environment in which to go about their business.

This isn't a very thoughtful post I'm afraid, mate. Both of those contracts were offered when we had players like Matt Jones and even Aiden Riley running around. They were necessities at the time and are now close to obsolete. We certainly won't need to offer cusp C graders that amount to come over anymore.

58 minutes ago, Jaded said:

Great work from Lewis.

Realistically we have 5 players who you think will command close to $1mil on the open market in the next few years: Gawn, Oliver, Petracca, Hunt, Hogan

We have to keep these guys together, if we are going to win a flag.

Salem is the other. His kicking is what separates him from many others. And I still hold out hope for Gus as well.

Keep these elite young talents together and add to them (as is the Hawthorn mantra), and we'll be going places.

He may not be the player he was in the Hawks great years but he must be one of the best acquisitions we have ever picked up in the mature veteran class, alongside Bernie.

Experience, skills, and know how go a long way. Also intelligence.

One of my most hated Hawks when he played for them.

Incredible, how a player can go from hated or disliked to a Saint...err Demon with a simple jumper change.

I guess however, there was a grudging respect when he played for the Hawks together with the thought that if only we had a hard man like Lewis. We have transformed from the softest team in the competition to a bunch of tough nuts lead by players like Lewis, Jones and Viney.